Documenting the vast array of wild plants and creatures which can co-habit just a single one-acre residential property

Eastern Hog-Nosed Snake

I was just about to step on this snake before I saw it and backed away.

We make it a point not to kill snakes on our property since they serve a useful purpose in nature, as does all wildlife. According to snake articles by certain experts, snakes are quite uninterested in being anywhere near people or pets. They don’t want to put themselves in danger, and the poisonous ones do not want to waste their venom on anything they can’t eat. To avoid snake contact, it is best to ensure that there are many places on your property for a snake to hide or make a getaway. Many people mistakenly believe the opposite, that if there are no hiding places, there will be no snakes. On the contrary, the more hiding places you furnish for snakes, the less likely you are to have a run-in. During snake season, it’s wise to be careful about treading in places that are popular hiding places for snakes, such as under rocks, leaves, or any dark corner of anything. It is especially good to be cautious near dawn, which is when snakes tend to be more out in the open. Although a snake is not interested in harming you, they do fear being harmed and so their defenses tend to be aroused easily. A snake-bite to a human or a dog is a defense mechanism, not an offensive one.